Mon Ange
by KitkatTenshi
Summary: Francis has spent too many hours trying to win over Arthur, so he plans to have his way for once.    Rated M for later chapter 4. XP dear god i epic fail at this summary
1. The Deal

Kelly- Careful! Reading any further may cause nosebleeds, squeeing, and-

Katie- -bitch slaps- ON WITH IT!

(Warning- One OC of mine will keep popping up, but then, I couldn't write a story without her in it to help support. ;D)

Chapter 1- _The Deal_

Arthur stormed into his home, a bright red flush on his face. If there was only one man he hated in this world, it had to be the man following behind him.

"Please Arthur, answer me, _mi amore_."

Arthur burst into his dark house, trying to hurry to shut the door so he didn't have to see anymore of the frog tonight. "No France! Go away!"

A foot wedged itself between the door and the house, effectively stopping Arthur's attempt to shut the door on the Frenchman. "Please Arthur; you have to tell me what I did to upset you so…"

Arthur threw his hands into the air, sighing. "France, you know what you did!" He said as he stormed down the hall. "For being so damn annoying you bloody frog!"

Arthur heard the lock click behind him, followed by Francis's deep tones. "Angleterre, if I knew, I would repent of it to get into your good graces yet again.

Arthur stalked the halls, searching for Fae. "Where the hell is that girl? She always get France to leave me be." Unprepared, Arthur found himself in a complete circle and in the main hallway again, where Francis stood, and he turned away, hoping the Frenchman had not seen him.

The steps that sounded behind him told him otherwise. "Angleterre, you never answered my first question. I meant what I asked of you-"

Arthur kept his back to the Frenchman, anger still coursing through his veins. "No! Not in a million years France! No matter how you persist!" He practically yelled, fists balled.

Francis gently wrapped his arms around Arthur. "Why?"

Arthur tried to squirm from France's arms, but found it like an iron wall imprisoning him. "You know why you frog."

Francis pulled Arthur close, and Arthur could hear his even breathing in his ear. "Well, you must explain it to me once more _mi amore_."

Arthur sighed. "You frog, we can't be together. We are countries, personifications. You know how it would be looked upon by the rest of the world."

France nuzzled Arthur's neck. "Angleterre, just forget that for a minute." He said before he planted a gentle kiss on the island country's cheek. "We can have normal lives too. Just look at Ludwig and Feliciano."

Arthur shivered at Francis' touch. "It's different with them France."

France sighed. "_Non mon ami_, it's not so different. You're just too stubborn for your own good." He said, gently pulling Arthur around to kiss his lips.

Arthur pulled away from the kiss. "No, it is. They have love, and we all know Feliciano is too spacey to care what anyone else thinks and Ludwig would kill anyone who disapproves. But they have love, and that's all they need. What do we have? A good fuck every once in a while?"

France let a flash of incredulous disbelief flash across his face. "Do you think that is all I care about? Mon dieu…" He said, letting his arms drop to his sides. "Besides, we haven't actually-"

Arthur took the opportunity to increase the space between them, turning his head from Francis as he stepped backwards. "I know what happens with you France. Your sole ambition is to have every woman in the world in your arms, and I know there's no room for me anywhere, whether or not you get in my pants."

Francis lifted up a hand, catching Arthur's chin. "Angleterre, I would give up every woman in the world for you."

"I don't believe you." Arthur said, not meeting Francis' gaze as the raw anger and rage he had felt from earlier faded.

France sighed, smiling slightly. He could read his Angleterre like a book. "You say that, but you know you want to believe me." He whispered, drawing Arthur closer and nuzzling the smaller man's neck. "What is so hard to understand about what I say Arthur?"

Arthur's green eyes met Francis' blue ones. "What's so hard to understand is why you play cat-and-mouse with me and why I let you."

Francis chuckled. "Arthur, both of us know that it's you who's the cat."

Arthur smiled, feeling part of his heart melt as he stared at Francis' merry eyes. Maybe he could forgive Francis this one last time…

And then Francis got on one knee, holding Arthur's hand in his own. "But the question is, _mon ami_, will you marry me?"

The candle of anger that had nearly died instantly roared to life, and Arthur yanked his hand from Francis', and he threw his hands towards the ceiling. "Dear god, you've did it AGAIN!" He roared before he started making his way down the hall.

Francis stood up and pulled him back into arms, twirling Arthur around to face him again. "Did what?"

Arthur snarled, keeping his head turned from Francis. "You proposed, even though I told you no a hundred times. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Francis pulled Arthur's head around to face him. He was silent for a second before he responded. "No Arthur. I keep asking because I'd rather be mortal with one life and you instead of continuing on like this." He said, roughly pulling Arthur's mouth to his own.

Arthur shoved him away, practically running to the front door and throwing it open. "France, get out of my house now." He said in a dangerous tone.

Francis simply stood there for a minute, slowly nearing the door. "Arthur, why?"

At Arthur's lack of response, Francis moved closer to the British man until he was only a few steps from him. "Arthur, don't do this." He said, and Arthur's eyes sunk to the floor.

Francis closed the space between them immediately, carefully lifting up Arthur's chin. "Angleterre, let me stay… please."

Arthur was still for a minute, then he pulled his head away from Francis as he gently shut the door. What little energy he had left was being sapped away with the anger he had felt, and it made Arthur feel weaker than ever before.

Francis smiled, gently kissing Arthur's forehead. "_Merci mon ami_."

Arthur closed his eyes, leaning onto Francis chest. "Francis, I'm… I'm not sure…"

Francis caught his breath, hope fluttering in his chest. "Not sure of what?" He said, a hopeful smile spreading across his lips. "Tell me Arthur."

"I'm not sure about us anymore. What we mean to each other…"

The hope that had sprung up in Francis' chest died instantly. "Arthur, you know you mean more than life, why would doubt that?"

"I…. I'm not sure who I am anymore…" Arthur said, turning his head from Francis.

Francis rubbed Arthur's cheek with the pad of on thumb worriedly while the other hand ran up to the top of Arthur's head, playing with the soft sandy hair there. "Why Angleterre?"

Arthur sighed, feeling any remnants of anger dissipate as he pulled from the warmth of Francis' arms.. "I guess I've been England so long, I don't know anything else anymore."

Francis pulled him back, gently kissing his forehead. "Then take the next week off. Spend some time finding yourself again."

At these words, reality crashed into Arthur, and he pulled away. "I can't. I have so much paperwork to do, it's insane. I'll be lucky if I finish it all in a month!" He said, starting to walk away.

Francis caught Arthur's hand and held it. "Arthur, I will do it for you. Even Fae would do some, and maybe Sibyl would come and help her. You know how well they can copy a signature. No matter what I have to do, you're taking the week off Angleterre. You will be Arthur for once, not England." He said, planting a kiss on Arthur's sweet tasting lips.

Arthur shook his head, pulling away from Francis. "No, there's something I'd rather keep from Fae. Some big shot politician decided to voice the opinion of complete take-over of Faroe Islands, and he's earned himself just enough credit and support to actually have the motion pass. If I don't finish and mail the paperwork in two days, then Fae will be officially dead to the world." He sighed. "I'd go insane if I took a break."

France paused at this new information, and Arthur took the opportunity to pull his hand away and dash upstairs. This is probably why Angleterre has been so busy the past month… He thought, following his beloved _ange _up the stairs. He caught Arthur as he was about to go into his study and pulled him close. "_Mi amore,_ you're going insane now. Arthur, when was your last day off? It must have been so long ago if you can't remember who you are anymore. Please, for me and me alone, become mortal for a week…"

Arthur threw up his hands. "Yes, because becoming mortal will solve ALL of my problems!" He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice as he entered the study.

Francis followed behind him, an idea springing in his head as he saw a chess set on the tea table. "Arthur, let's make a deal."

Arthur sat down at his desk, shuffling papers, casually glancing at Francis. "I don't have time for deals France."

Francis sighed, resisting the urge to smack his forehead out of frustration. His _ange _could be so frustrating at times. "A small bet then. I say I can beat you in chess. If I win, you and I become mortal and go on a vacation. If I lose, then I will leave you alone for as long as you wish."

Arthur's caterpillar eyebrows rose. He liked this idea, France leaving him alone. He could probably beat the Frenchman while doing the paperwork he had been working so diligently on for so long. He chuckled. "How do I know you will hold up your end of the bargain?"

Francis smiled, slightly. "I swear _mon ami_. I promise on the memory of Jean de Arc."

Arthur bit his lip, torn between wanting work done and wanting France out of his house. "If I lose, not a word to Fae alright? I don't want her worrying about me."

Francis smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Don't worry, Matthew will take care of it." He knew that no matter what happened, Fae would stay worried, but he didn't voice this opinion.

"Why did I let you convince me into this?" Arthur said, walking over to the tea table, bringing a stack of papers with him.

France chuckled, beginning to set up the chess set. "I don't know."

15 minutes later, France crowed in pleasure. "Check mate Angleterre!"

Arthur looked up from the papers in his hand, shocked. It was true, and inwardly, he chided himself for not paying better attention. "Fae is going to murder me in my bed…"

Francis smiled, leaning across the board, a sly smile playing on his lips. "_Non,_ she'll never know. She was going out drinking with Sibyl, so they won't be back until 3, and then they'll crash and sleep for a day or two. She'll never know." He laughed, leaning back and fishing for his cell phone. After a quick call to his only son, Francis turned back to Arthur, noting the way Arthur's eyelids were drooping. "Angleterre, we should be human by morning. Perhaps it's best if we get some sleep…"

Arthur shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "No, I have too much to do to go to bed."

Francis smiled, silently moving his chair closer to Arthur's. "_Non_, you don't. You've become extremely available for the next week." He said, leaning towards Arthur.

Arthur gulped, his eyes focused on Francis' lips as they neared his own. "Do I want to know what you have in store?"

Francis chuckled, his face only a few inches from Arthur's. "Don't worry, I have an idea…" He said in a low voice that made Arthur want to jump the Frenchman.

That is, until he found himself hoisted into the air, and Francis said, "But for now, sleep,"

Arthur felt his face turn pink. "Frog, let me down!" He said, flailing his legs as Francis started carrying him from the room.

Francis stopped short, his eyes on Arthur's face. He let out a sigh, gently setting the island on his feet. "As you wish Angleterre."

Arthur stifled a yawn, moving back to his desk. "Can you do me a favor and make me some tea? I think I'm going to need to pull an all nighter."

Francis sighed, noting the serious look on Arthur's face before nodding. "Fine. I'll be back shortly, but no paperwork tomorow."

He took his time in Angleterre's kitchen before he came back upstairs, the smell of earl grey tea coming from the teapot on the tray before him. "Listen Arthur, I was thinking, maybe we could go to the park or…"

His voice faded as he looked at the sleeping form slumped over the desk, snoring slightly as his incredibly fuzzy eyebrows twitched.

Despite himself, Francis found himself smiling at Arthur. "Or maybe we could go sailing." He said, gently picking up Arthur and carrying him bridal style. "Your lady sea misses you terribly, and I can see you miss her too when you think no one's watching." He gently carried Arthur to his room and set him on the bed, pausing only to pull off Angleterre's socks and shoes. For a second, he thought about leaving Arthur like that, but as he turned, he felt a tug at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Arthur's hand on his arm, pulling the hand close to his chest before he let it go.

Francis smiled, pulling off his own socks and shoes, climbing into the bed next to Arthur, wrapping his arms around Arthur, pulling him close. Almost in immediate response, Arthur moved closer to Francis, nuzzling his head into the Frenchman's chest. Francis closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of his beloved Angeleterre.

The creak of floorboards sent Francis' eyes flying open, and he immediately stiffened, tightening his hold on Arthur, shielding the other man from any form of attack.

Fae chuckled from the doorway. "Awww, aren't you two the cutest. I didn't think you'd get this far Francis, especially not after that little stunt today."

Francis glanced at the teen-aged girl in the doorway. "With Arthur, it's all I can ever hope for."

Fae fell silent for a minute, simply leaning on the doorframe. After a long moment, she moved to the bed, sitting on the end. "So, how did it go? The vacation plan?"

Francis bit his lip. "Better than I expected. He took it almost in stride…"

Fae nodded her head, smiling slightly. She had been the one who had planted the idea of a vacation into Francis' head and helped him formulate how to get Arthur on break. "I was almost certain it was going to be impossible after that proposal at the UN meeting." She shook her head. "And you call yourself the country of romance. And I thought Alfred was insane when he said Arthur could get mad."

Francis grinned sheepishly at the small girl. "If you thought he was mad then, you should have seen when I tried the second time."

Fae groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Dear lord, I'm surprised you still have the thing you think with and were still able to share a bed with him. Do you do the huge, loud proposals in the hopes he won't have the heart to turn you down when everyone's watching, or just to annoy the hell out of him?"

Francis sighed, looking down at the sleeping man in his arms. "I know Fae. _Mon dieu…_ But I have high hopes that he'll accept when we become mortal sometime this week."

Fae nodded, staring at Arthur. "And if he doesn't?"

Francis' grip tightened around Arthur, pulling him even closer. "I'm hoping his lady love will work. I want him to find himself Fae. If he doesn't …" At the last bit, his voice died, but Fae nodded, understanding what he meant.

She stood, stretching. "Well, I'm going to finish whatever Arthur was doing in the study. I'll let you old timers get back to your… activities…." She said with a slow smile.

Francis laughed. "Well, I called Matthew, and he'll be arriving tomorrow to help you." He looked down at Arthur. "I just want him happy Fae. Is that so terrible?"

Fae nodded. "Only when you leave me out of the loop about the workload. Which reminds me, thanks for remembering to tell me I had to do paperwork while you two are gone."

Francis chuckled. "Better get some sleep. You'll need it tomorrow."

Fae rolled her eyes. "Well, have fun with Arthur."

Francis could see what she was instigating, and to toy with her, he wiggled his eyebrows. "Can't. He's probably too tired. But you can join me if you want."

Fae shook her head, smiling slightly like Francis was missing something huge. "Francis, you'll get nowhere with Arthur as long as you flirt excessively with everyone. Try to tone it down a couple thousand clicks, and maybe you'll find Arthur a lot easier to deal with."

Francis bit his lip as Fae left the room, looking down at the man in his arms. "Good night _mon ange_. I'll see you tomorrow, but have sweet dreams as I dream of you…" He muttered, closing his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

Here's my pride and joy, Mon Ange! ^^ My Ane-chan and I wrote over the summer via texting, and it was epic. Loved how the story turned out. Decided to write it down. Wasn't going to post it for a while though... But Ane-chan found out its not up. So here it is. =n=

reviews are welcome! ^^ I do enjoy reviews... and Fae won't have to bother with sicking her older brother on you!

Denmark- Wait, what?

Katie- -waves- I'll post the second chapter soon! I hope!


	2. Freedom

Chapter 2- _Freedom_

Arthur woke to the rocking of a boat, a sensation that felt almost as welcome as a mother's arms. It felt good to be at sea again, the smell of the salty air, the roaring of the waves.

Except he didn't remember getting on a boat in the last 24 hours.

"Morning _mon ami_." A soft pressure of a pair of lips brushed across Arthur's cheek, causing his eyes to snap open as he sat bolt upright.

Arthur gasped, finding himself on a boat, an expanse of blue surrounding him on all sides. "What, where are we France?"

Francis was kneeling next to him, and when Arthur turned to face him, he quickly pulled a catch-and-release with Arthur's lips before standing up. "We are going sailing Angleterre."

Arthur blinked, standing up. "How far out are we?"

Francis smiled. "Just long enough that you can only see blue on the horizon." As Arthur glanced around, noting that this was true, Francis sighed. "Arthur, this IS a two man ship, and I'm having trouble on my own."

Arthur sighed, grabbing the rope Francis had been struggling and quickly pulling it and tying it. Francis chuckled, quickly giving Arthur a peck on the cheek. "You were always better at this…"

Arthur walked over to the wheel, grasping the firm wood in his hands. "I was a pirate." He said, his eyes glazing over as he stared out at the blue sea.

"Why? Was it what you loved?" Francis said as he finished securing the sails of the ship and walked over to Arthur, snaking his arms around the other's waist.

Arthur sighed, his mind elsewhere. "You always seem to love what you want or think you can control, but in reality, it's always slipping through your fingers…"

Francis smiled, chuckling softly. "I know what you mean…" He said before he started walking away. "I'll start making breakfast."

Arthur perked at the word 'breakfast'. "What are we having? And what do you know? All you've ever wanted is a good bottle of wine and a woman in your arms."

"I was thinking crepes. And wine is good, but it isn't what I've always wanted." He smiled, looking at the clear sky. "It's merely a nice perk."

Arthur nodded, looking up at the sky. "Well, make some tea, and we're on this morning. I'm not really in the mood for your French food."

Francis sighed, shaking his head. "_Non, _we both need to eat a full breakfast. We don't have the strength of our people to keep us alive any longer." He said, sighing as he put the tea on anyway.

Arthur stood stock still, his face frozen in a mix of horror and astonishment. "W-w-what?" He finally managed to get out, his eyes no longer on the sky.

"It is morning, is it not Angleterre?" Francis said, walking over to Arthur, wrapping his arms around the younger man's waist.

Arthur's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he shoved Francis away. "Are you mad? What do you mean, we don't have the strength of our people?"

Francis nodded. "No cells, no work. Just you and me _mi amore_, unless you truly detest this." He said, waving a hand at the sea.

Arthur stood still for a moment, then began to frantically pat his pockets. "France, please say you brought along my cell phone…"

Francis shook his head as he walked back to the galley. "Nope. I left it on the dresser Angleterre."

"No cell phones?" Arthur said, barely hearing how small his voice sounded as he followed Francis. "What will we do if we want to get picked up from wherever we're going?"

Francis nodded. "Only one, and it's for an emergency only."

Arthur nearly broke into a jig with happiness. "Can I see it? I need to make a call."

Francis eyed him suspiciously. "What for?" A thought flew through his mind, and he frowned, feeling the thought bruise his ego. "Arthur, I won't let you get hurt."

Arthur shook his head. "I just need to tell Fae something."

Francis' ego felt immediately better. "And that is?"

Arthur bristled, frustrated at his attempt to earn himself a form of rescue. "That's none of your bloody business!"

Francis chuckled, handing a plate of food to Arthur and kissing him quickly on the cheek. "Then no _mon amore_."

Arthur took the plate and stormed back to the deck, frustration pouring from him. He could hear Francis calling behind him. "Angleterre, why are you mad with me again?"

Arthur flopped by the railing on one side, narrowing his eyes at the Frenchman. "Better not come over here. This is a two man boat, and too much weight on one side may capsize us."

Francis stopped and sighed, holding out a tray. "Your tea is ready."

"Don't want it." Arthur muttered, picking quietly at the food on his plate.

Francis sighed again, setting the tray next to Arthur. "But you asked for it _mon ange._" He said before he walked back to the steering wheel.

Arthur was quiet for a long minute before he broke the silence that hung between the two. "France, where are we going."

"Somewhere very special Arthur." Francis said, and with that, Arthur fell silent again.

It wasn't until hours later that Arthur first caught sight of the speck of land in the distance. As they got closer and closer, Arthur began to see it was an island. It seemed so… familiar, even from this distance. "France, is this our destination?"

Francis nodded. "Yes Arthur. Why?"

Arthur eyed Francis. "You don't have any of those weird sex/rape on the beach sort of fantasies, right?"

Francis smiled despite himself. "No _mon amore._"

"Then why are we here?" Arthur said, eyes fixed on the island.

"Arthur, do you not recognize where we first met?"

Arthur's eyes widened. It had been years since he had seen the old island.

Francis chuckled at Arthur's expression. "We'll be staying here for the rest of the week _mon ami._"

Arthur frowned at these words. "You do remember that there isn't a building anywhere on this entire island, right?"

Francis nodded. "We'll be building our own shelter Angleterre." He said, walking over to Arthur.

Arthur let out a puff of air, anger building in him again. "Bloody god damn frog."

Francis knelt before Arthur, meeting his eyes. "Arthur, what's wrong? How did I anger you again?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I've been mad since I woke up today."

Francis shook his head. "No, only since you realized you were human." He leaned in, kissing Arthur's cheek and stroking his hair. "Please try to have fun _mi amore…_"

Arthur felt like his blood was boiling. "Fun? How the hell can I have fun when I'm fighting off bugs, weather, and you, all while being MORTAL?"

Francis felt like he was running in circles, trying to convince Arthur. "Arthur, you need to trust me. We're not completely at the mercy of the elements. Fae made sure we had enough food to feed a regiment of soldiers for a month."

When Arthur stayed silent, Francis sighed, moving to the other side of the boat and dropping the anchor. "I hope you realize, you aren't going to get me off this boat until you promise to take me home."

The words were thrown out as a challenge, a challenge Francis readily accepted. He quickly moved to the other side of the boat, and hoisting Arthur into the air bridal style, threw off the island country's shirt and jumped off the side of the boat into the shallows.

Arthur immediately started, startled by the sudden movement. He glared at Francis, trying to wiggle from the Frenchman's arms. "Bloody frog, put me down!"

The smile on Francis' face was almost enough to make Arthur's heart stop. "Keep squirming and you'll be soaked through Angleterre."

Arthur turned his head away. "It's only a little water. I'd be fine." He said, biting his lip. A week on this island was pleasant, if not welcome, but he had so much work to do at home…

Almost as if he could read his mind, Francis said, "It's only a week Arthur. But I think it's best if I carried you. After all, you wouldn't want me to strip you."

Arthur turned slightly pink as that thought sunk into his brain. "And why the hell would you do that France?"

"To get you and your clothes dry." He said, nuzzling the top of Arthur's head. "Angleterre, I have a surprise for you."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "It isn't rape, is it?"

Francis almost dropped him out of surprise. "What? No _mi amore_. You know I would never take advantage of you like that." He carried Arthur further inland, ignoring the hundreds of questions that seemed to fall in rapid succession out of the smaller man's mouth.

Eventually they came across a huge tree that sat directly in the middle of a huge meadow not far from the beach, and Arthur looked up at the top, noting the large house… mansion, for lack of a better word, that sat it the top of it. "Where the hell did you get the time for this?"

Francis shrugged. "A little here, a little there. What do you think I do when I'm not at home? Sleeping with other women?"

At the look on Arthur's face, Francis knew he had struck a nerve. "Put me down. I'm not getting in any tree house you built. The whole thing will probably fall over the second you get in it."

Francis sighed, noting the stubborn face that Arthur had put on. "As you wish Arthur. Just be careful."

He watched as Arthur worked on the beach, cooking silently as Arthur built himself a shanty. Eventually, Arthur kicked over the structure in anger and flopped on his back, staring out at the ocean as the sun set. Francis picked up a plate of steaming food and walked to the beach to Arthur.

Arthur had turned the shanty into a fire pit by the time Francis got there, and barely turned his head as he heard the Frenchman approach, not even acknowledging him.

Francis offered the plate. "Hungry?"

Arthur continued to look out to the sea.

Francis sat down next to the fire pit, pulling out a box of matches and lighting the fire. "Come, sit with me."

"What is it France? Have you come to rub that you won that game of chess so you can make my life hell?" Arthur said, anger pouring out of him.

At these words, Francis' face fell, and Arthur had to look away if he was to keep his resolve. "No _mon ami_, I simply wanted to make it better." He said, scooting closer to Arthur.

Arthur looked out at the sky, with was slowly fading from a ruby red to a dark blue. "Not hungry."

Francis smiled, quietly slipping his arms around Arthur's waist and pulling the smaller man onto his lap. "Eat Arthur."

At the look of Francis' face, Arthur sighed, his eyes falling on the plate next to the Frenchman. "What is it?"

"Fish and chips. It's not as good as yours though."

Arthur took one, ate it and swallowed. "There. I've eaten. Happy?"

Francis chuckled, pulling an apple from his pocket. "_Non._ You need to eat a full dinner if you want to survive the week."

Arthur picked up the apple, then started casually throwing it up into the air. "And if I don't-?"

He was cut off by Francis catching the apple and kissing his cheek. He turned a little pink at this, but suddenly he felt himself hoisted into the air and being carried back to Francis' tree mansion.

"I'm not going up there France." Arthur said as they neared the tree, eyes glaring at the Frenchman.

"Arthur, I swear, it isn't rickety." He flashed Arthur a smile. "Trust me."

Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples. "I trust you, just not the building."

Francis laughed. "_Je teir dua mon ami._" He said as he carried Arthur up the stairs.

"You know I don't speak French. What did you say?" Arthur said, his mind spinning around the words.

Francis chuckled, pulling out a chair and setting Arthur down in it, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "You will Angleterre. But for now, what would you like to eat?"

"What do you mean, I will?" Arthur said, his eyes watching Francis. "What do you have planned?"

"I meant you'll understand what I said eventually." He said, smiling. "This isn't part of some evil plot."

"You promise?" Arthur said, still unsure.

"I swear."

Arthur chuckled at that statement. "I know where your swears get you. Waking up in the middle of the night in the arms of a beautiful woman, and one month later, being told you are to become a proud papa."

"That's untrue Angleterre. I would never-"

"You know I speak the truth France, from the bottom of your heart."

"When?"

Arthur held up a hand. "Do you remember the day you came home with Canada? Do you remember that night?"

Francis shook his head, trying to remember. Honestly, most of his memories of Matthew were blurred. He looked away from Arthur, unable to hold the other's gaze. "No, I don't."

Arthur chuckled. "That's because that night you got completely drunk. You were in full rant, going on about how you whored around with everyone and how you knew that one day it was finally going to catch up with you."

Francis sighed, looking out the window at the night sky. "You still hated me then. How else was I supposed to…" His voice drifted for a second, and suddenly he shook his head. "Trying to be with you would have made it worse Angleterre." He said, eyes downcast.

Arthur sighed, standing up. "Then you are an even bigger git than I first thought."

Francis' head shot up. "W-what?" He said, a confused look on his face.

Arthur walked towards the door. "I'm going back to the beach to have my feet on firm ground."

Francis started to stand. "Arthur, please… stay."

But Arthur was already out the door and down the steps. He didn't stop until he was at the beach, and with a exasperated sigh, he flopped on his back, watching the stars come out.

"What's wrong Arthur?"

The voice and a blue light that appeared on his right startled him, but he recognized the small fairy. Smiling, he inclined his head slightly at the small girl. "Hello Diana. How have you been?"

The fairy smiled, fluttering to sit on Arthur's chest. "Wonderful." She looked from Arthur to the huge tree. "What's wrong? He built separate rooms for the both of you…"

Arthur sighed, sitting up, causing Diana to roll off his chest. "It's not that. I'm just wondering what I was smoking when I… started liking him."

She giggled, her blue light glimmering brightly. "You and I both know you weren't smoking anything. What did the frog do now?"

Arthur fell backwards with a thud. "It's not him, it's me! I'm not sure of anything anymore…"

She paused. "Arthur, is there any way I can help?"

Arthur paused, staring up at the sky. "I don't know. But I do know why he brought me here. Whenever we had problems, we'd come here and fight them out."

"What if he doesn't want to talk? Only to make you feel better?"

Arthur paused, this thought not occurring to him. He closed his eyes. "Diana, I said we'd FIGHT it out. Not talk."

Diana flittered into the air, watching Arthur's face. "What if he WANTS to talk. Yes, we all know he's a perv, but he just wants to help." She smiled a serene smile. "And well… I don't think time you two should be fighting."

Arthur chuckled, smirking. "You sound just like Fae. Did she send you to watch over me?"

Diana tactfully avoided the question. "Maybe Fae is right." She fluttered down and sat on his chest again. "You know, she normally is."

Arthur sighed. "She always is. Just don't tell her or her ego will explode."

Diana giggled. "Well, if she was here right now, she'd tell you to stop being so stupid and give Francis a chance. And that the house is much more comfortable than the beach." Her eyes wandered to somewhere behind Arthur, and when Arthur turned to look, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"No, I'd rather be out here. The weather is beautiful, and you can see all the stars." He said, his eyes fixed on the sky once again.

"Well, maybe you should call Francis and ask him to join you." Diana said, laying down on Arthur's chest. "The stars are beautiful tonight."

Arthur laughed. "No, France always said it was pointless to stare at the stars. They were just balls of gas hanging in the sky."

Diana chuckled herself. "Well, maybe he was wrong and maybe he'd like to change."

"Arthur, do you mind if I join you?"

Arthur jumped in surprise, and, craning his neck around, he saw Francis standing there. "Sure, I guess." The Brit said, looking back at the sea, cheeks ablaze. How long had he been standing there?

Francis sat down, keeping his distance. "Nice night, is it not Angleterre?"

Arthur grunted, uneager to let Francis know how surprised he was. 'Please don't let France hear what I just said… I have to have SOME dignity…'

"The stars are beautiful tonight, are they not?"

Arthur nodded. "Yeah."

They both fell silent, and after a minute, Francis leaned back on his arms, keeping his distance. This was odd, since Francis knew no boundaries when it came to personal space.

"So what brings you out on this gorgeous night France?" Arthur said, trying to sound nonchalant as he cast an eye at the Frenchman.

Francis was looking at Arthur too, and their eyes held for a second before Arthur turned his head away. "I just wanted… to talk."

Arthur's eyebrow rose, and he turned his head back to Francis. "About what?"

Francis turned, looking up at the sky. "About everything." He started to scoot closer, then stopped himself. He could feel all these feelings welling up in his chest, wanting to be expressed. The pain of Arthur's refusals, the lust he felt when he looked at Arthur, the love he felt for the green-eyed man who was the reason he got up every morning.

Arthur looked back at the sky. "France, do you ever wonder if stars ever watch us?"

"They will be. Always." Francis said, laying completely down, his eyes on Arthur as the other stared at the sky.

"I heard that stars are the souls of the dead immortalized…" Arthur said, his eyes shining brightly in the starlight.

"Maybe countries end up there when we finally die…" Francis said, his eyes still trained on Arthur's form. "Though I heard that they are the forgotten gods of the past."

Arthur stayed silent for a long moment, a distant look on his face. "France, do you think we have souls?"

France looked up at the twinkling diamonds. "Yes, if we haven't lost them with all the blood we've spilled." He rolled over, away from Arthur. "Do you think we cease to exist when we die?"

Arthur turned his head to look at Francis, only to see his back. "I think there's something for us. But then, no one really knows.

Francis furrowed his eyebrows as he turned back to look at Arthur. "What do you mean?"

Arthur turned his head to the sky again. "No one can ever say what awaits us in the afterlife. Even all those religious people Fae is always ragging on have tried to fathom it for years with no success."

Francis scoffed. "I'll probably burn." He said, shaking his head.

Arthur smirked. "If you burn, then I shall fry."

The Frenchman's eyebrows knitted together. "Why? If there's anything you've done, I've done much worse."

Arthur shook his head. "There is no forgiveness for what I've done."

Francis looked at him with horridly sad eyes. "Angleterre, you barely know a tenth of my bloody hands."

"We've both done horrible things." Arthur said, no longer looking at the sky.

"We never really forgive or forget like we're supposed to." Francis replied, watching Arthur carefully.

Arthur looked up at the stars, silently thinking to himself about how he treated Francis. No one deserved to be treated like that, even if they were a complete git.

"Arthur, what are you thinking?"

"How no one's really forgiven Germany for World War I and II." Arthur quickly said, not meeting Francis' gaze.

"You're a horrible lair. Please, tell me." When Arthur didn't immediately respond, Francis looked away from him. "I want you to trust me…" He whispered to the stars.

Arthur turned to look at Francis, then turned back to the sky, holding his silence.

"Please Arthur, you need to tell someone." Carefully, he inched closer to Arthur. "You haven't been yourself since…" For a second he struggled with himself, feeling the pain from that time forming in his chest. "Since you broke it off…"

Arthur winced. "I'm just… thinking France."

"Thinking can be heavy on one's soul if no one is there to have those thoughts entrusted to." Francis said, eyes shining with kindness.

"France… Can you just leave me alone? I don't want to talk about it." Arthur said, staring up at the sky.

"As you wish, Angleterre." Francis whispered and Arthur smiled briefly before closing his eyes.

After a long minute, he sat up, staring at Arthur as the younger man's chest breathed in and out slowly. "I wonder what you've been thinking Arthur. Are you contemplating your death or are you thinking that maybe I should be the one to cease to exsist." He sighed, his long fingers brushing across Arthur's own.

The ring felt heavy in his pocket, and he pulled it out, staring at it. It would have been the ring that would sit on Arthur's ring finger, shining proudly as a symbol that Arthur was his and his alone. He briefly brought it to his lips, giving it a small kiss before he laid it on Arthur's chest and stood up, starting to walk away.

Arthur's green eyes fluttered open, and he gently picked up the ring from his chest. "France?"

"_Oui?" _Francis said, turning. Something flashed through the air, and automatically, his hand reached out and caught it.

It was the ring, and Francis looked down at the man at his feet. Arthur smirked slightly. "I think it's best if you hold onto that."

Francis stood there for a second, watching as Arthur laid back down, closing his eyes. "I gave it to you." He whispered, placing it on a rock in the sand.

He turned to go, and again, Arthur called him back. "France? Please, let me go home. I want to get my work done."

Francis looked back over his shoulder before he turned around again. "Arthur…" He said, an idea growing in his head. "I'll tell you what. I'll take you home tomorrow, but only if you beat me in a challenge tomorrow." He said, nearing Arthur.

Arthur pursed his lips, his heartbeat speeding up as Francis' face got closer and closer to his own. "And what exactly IS this challenge?"

Francis was up and walking away before Arthur could realize what had happened. "You'll find out in the morning. Sweet dreams, mon ami." He said, turning one last time to blow Arthur a kiss.

Arthur gritted his teeth, falling backwards into the sand again. "Ugh! He drives me insane!" He paused, a glimmer catching his eye and he reached out, picking up the small ring Francis had left behind.

Diana chuckled, floating back down to lay on Arthur's chest again. "I think he's sweet. I wonder what it'll be. What do you think, a drinking contest, or he'll take you diving somewhere?" She noted the expression on Arthur's face. "Oh come on Arthur, it can't be THAT bad here."

Arthur sighed, closing his eyes, clutching the ring to his chest. "You're right you know. It feels good to be here again." He yawned. "I guess I'll find out what I'm doing tomorrow in the morning…"

Bother!

Alright, so hope you like it...

Another OC appears! The lovely Diana, who enjoys bothering BOTH Fae and Iggy to death. She's a fairy. That's all you truly need to know. XD

Comments are welcome! And as are critiques...


	3. Treasure

Chapter 3- _Treasure_

Francis sat on the beach, watching Arthur sleep, the sleeping nation's chest rising and falling at an even pace as Francis played with the ring he had found in Arthur's hand.

Arthur suddenly twitched, and he nuzzled his head further into the crook of his arm. "Oi… frog…"

Francis' ears perked and he leaned closer slightly. "Yes?"

"S'not… too bad…" He muttered, emitting a slight snore, and Francis suddenly realized that Arthur was still asleep.

Francis gave him a confused look. "It's not bad? What isn't bad?"

When Arthur didn't respond, Francis reached out and brushed the loose hairs from Arthur's face. "Angleterre, why don't you want security?"

Arthur stayed still. "Se…curity?"

Francis sighed. "Ignore my ramblings Angleterre. _Je t'iame_."

Arthur sighed. "You know… I hate it… when you speak… French… Don't understand."

Francis chuckled, crawling closer to Arthur. "It means I love you." He took Arthur's hand and opened it, placing the ring on the flat of his hand. "And if I married you, it would be only to give you a clear mind that I'd never sleep with anyone but you _mon ami._"

Arthur sighed, moving closer to Francis. "It's a nice… thought…" He yawned and stretched, and slowly his eyelids started flickering open.

"Morning Francis…" Arthur said, groaning as he sat up, rubbing the side of his face as he wiped off the sand from the beach. "What brings you here this morning?"

Francis chuckled, straightening up. "You calling me a frog in your dreams. It's good to see some things never change." He chuckled. "You want some breakfast?"

Arthur eyed the basket of food that seemed to appear from nowhere.

"What's wrong?" Francis asked at Arthur's suspicious looks.

Arthur shrugged, taking the basket and rummaging through it. "What are we doing today?"

Francis chuckled, taking the basket back. "I wanted to show you around the island. After all, we've never truly seen it since we were always fighting."

Arthur looked at the basket. "And what does this have to do with you holding breakfast under my nose?"

"Incentive to get you to the cove. You remember that cove from when we were little ones, the one we'd play in and never get bored?" At Arthur's answering nod, Francis' grin spread. "Good, since I was planning on taking you diving there. Apparently, a ship from the Spanish armada sunk there long ago."

Arthur sighed. "So when do we leave for England?"

"End of the week. Why?" He said, pulling Arthur to his feet.

In response, he got one of the dirtiest looks ever to be seen on the world. "Liar. You said last night if I beat you in a challenge, then we get to go home."

Francis nearly had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at the memory. "No, I don't remember. It must have been a dream. But if you insist on a challenge, I will make one up for you."

Arthur stretched. "Fine then. But it better be good."

Francis smiled brilliantly. "Good." He said, leading the way to the cove.

Arthur ate an apple on the way, saying that if he didn't, he was probably going to die of starvation. He dropped the apple, however, when he saw the cove.

The cove was beautiful, a waterfall falling at one end and the opening to the sea on the other side. It was covered by trees, giving it an abundance of shade.

Arthur thought it was the second most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Francis sat at the base of a tree, pulling out sandwiches from the basket. "Eat up Arthur, since we'll need to wait at least half of an hour before we go diving." A wicked smile played on his lips as he handed Arthur a sandwich.

His smile sent a shiver down Arthur's spine. "France, you frog, what are you planning?"

"Nothing _mon ami_."

"What's in the sandwiches?" Arthur asked, not bothering to wait for an answer as he took a bite.

"Chicken." Francis took a bite. "I was thinking for as for a challenge that whoever finds the best treasure wins this contest."

The words were out of Arthur's mouth before he could stop them. "Then I win."

Francis looked startled. "H-how?"

When Arthur didn't answer the question and took another bite of his sandwich, Francis continued to press, completely shocked. "What is it Angleterre?"

"Don't want to say." Arthur said, eyes focusing on the waterfall. "The cove is beautiful, is it not?"

"It is, but don't change the subject Angleterre. What is your treasure?" A thought flew through Francis' head. "_Mon ange,_ it couldn't be anything so…" He smiled, liking the thought that Arthur thought of him as such a treasure.

Arthur smirked. "And here I was, about to prove my point on you being a bloody git." He said, taking another bite of chicken as he laughed quietly.

"I feel like you're laughing at me Arthur." Francis scooted closer to Arthur, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Arthur shook his head, slowly chewing the bite of sandwich in his mouth. It wasn't proper for an English gentleman to talk with his mouth full. Francis must know this.

Francis gave him a quick peck on the lips, looking into Arthur's eyes. "_Mon ange_, what IS your treasure."

When Arthur tapped his lips, indicating that his mouth was full, Francis' eyes lit up like a child's a Christmas. "Finish eating Arthur." He said with a slow, seductive smile, getting closer and closer to the Englishman. "You can't stay silent forever…"

When Arthur 's smirk was the only answer he got, Francis pushed the other backwards, shoving him into a tree, slipping his hand under Arthur's shirt, casually exploring the abs he found there. "Finish your sandwich and tell me amore…"

Arthur's heartbeat quickened slightly as he felt Francis' hand on his stomach. He glared at the Frenchman, debating whether or not to see if Francis was completely serious.

Francis chuckled, despite the glare. "Don't worry Angleterre, I won't do anything to you that you don't want. But it is awfully hard to tell what you think when your mouth is full." He said the last part with such a look that made Arthur's spine shiver in excitement. Francis' mouth, curled upward into a devilish grin, had moved to Arthur's neck, and Arthur felt the other's lips on his skin.

Arthur relaxed. For Francis, this was pretty weak, considering. Then the hand in his stomach started to crawl upwards, and just as fast a second hand was in Arthur's shirt, sinking lower to just below the belt line. Francis began rubbing his thumb against Arthur's inner thigh, dangerously close as the other hand found Arthur's nipple and- OH DEAR GOD.

Arthur doubted he had ever chewed and swallowed something so fast. "France, you bloody frog, what the hell are you doing!" Arthur yelled, shoving the Frenchman away.

Francis' grin seemed to light up his entire face. "I didn't do anything _mon cheri_." He said, casually leaning over Arthur, one hand placed on the tree. "Now that I have freed your beautiful voice, you should thank me by telling me what your treasure is…"

Arthur shook his head slightly, his eyes meeting Francis' squarely. "No."

Francis put on a pouting face for a second before he delicately kissed Arthur's lips. As normal, Arthur's lips stayed still. It was almost like kissing a statue sometimes, even though he could feel Arthur's heartbeat through the thin cotton of his shirt. "Please?"

Arthur sighed, exasperated. To hell he would ever tell Francis. "Why do you even want to know?"

Francis shrugged. "I want to see if it beats my treasure." He said, his lips trailing a path down to Arthur's collarbone as his hands slithered back under Arthur's shirt.

Arthur grinned. "I doubt you could have anything that would even rival mine." He looked down at Francis' head. "It's beauty rivals that of the stars in the sky…"

"Then what is it?" Francis smiled as he straightened up, but really his heart hurt at the comment. Francis was no prize, and he couldn't think of anyone who would think of him in such a way.

Arthur bit his lip, then beckoned Francis closer. "Chi caru…" He whispered, and immediately turned a bright pink.

France stayed still for a minute, confusion riddling his face. "Chi… caru? What does that mean Arthur?" He sighed. "You know I don't understand you."

Arthur grinned. "Which is the beauty of it. Now you know what it feels like to be me when you say things in French."

Francis straightened up, throwing his hands into the air. "_Mi amore, _I tell you what it means while u sleep, in a futile attempt to get you to understand in that stubborn head of yours!" He paused, seeing hurt flash across Arthur's face for an instant before he hid it. "_Je t'iame, mi amore._" Francis said before whispering, "I love you…"

If Arthur heard the last bit, he didn't let on. Instead, he groaned. "See? I still don't understand you. What the hell did that even mean?"

Francis sighed. This was getting nowhere fast. "Arthur, I've told you twice before this. Besides, if I told you, then what would be the fun of that?" He lifted up Arthur's chin and kissed him passionately.

Arthur pushed him away, his eyes on the crystal clear water. "You know, stomach cramps or not, I'll take my chances in the water." He said, not looking at Francis as he pulled off his shirt.

Francis grinned, doing the same. "Shall we swim then?"

Arthur had to keep his eyes from anywhere but in the vicinity of Francis since his eyes just wanted to ogle at Francis.

Francis, and all his vanity, almost immediately noticed this. He pulled off a great show of flexing his muscles inconspicuously, tempting Arthur further.

Arthur rolled his eyes as he walked to the water, even though every fiber of his being wanted him to run at Francis and kiss him long and hard. A breeze blew by him, and he saw Francis run by, heading to the waterfall. "Race you to the water _mon cheri!_" He yelled back at Arthur, grinning like an idiot.

Arthur chuckled slightly, not bothering to run anywhere as he jumped into the water, cutting it like a knife. When he surfaced, he looked around for Francis, and when he didn't see him anywhere, he panicked, starting to swim to the side of the pool.

Francis surfaced, coming up right under Arthur and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Arthur spun around, surprised. "Don't do that!"

Francis chuckled, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist as he nuzzled his head into Arthur's neck, placing them on random spots as his thumb stroked a line down the center of Arthur's stomach. "_Mon ami…"_

Arthur pushed him away and swam to the shore, pulling himself out. Something inside of him kept screaming that this was wrong, and the other half wanted to continue on. "Why did you bring me here Francis?" He asked, his eyes on the Frenchman who was still in the pool.

Francis looked up at the green eyes he loved so much. "To make you happy, Angleterre…" He said, idly stroking Arthur's foot.

"Why? Why do you care?" Arthur asked, watching the blue-eyed man carefully.

Francis pulled himself out of the pool so he could sit next to Arthur. "I want you to find yourself." He said, carefully laying a hand onto Arthur's.

Arthur immediately moved his hand. "Maybe I was happy the way I was."

Francis could barely believe his ears. "Angleterre, you spent the last few months drinking yourself into a coma and working yourself into the grave!" He said, pulling Arthur close. "You need the break. Much more than you realize."

Arthur shook his head. "I didn't need it. I would have been much happier at home."

Francis kissed Arthur on the cheek, smiling. "Really? Then why do you look so happy?"

Arthur frowned, staring at his feet. "It's just your imagination. How could I be happy when you abducted me?"

Francis chuckled, bringing Arthur's face around. "I didn't steal you." He said, smiling. "Arthur, I-i…" The statement burned on his lips, but something didn't feel right about the situation. Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Arthur, why did you keep the ring if you keep turning me down?"

At these words, Arthur turned beet red. "How did you know-?" He asked, feeling the ring sitting quietly in his pants pocket.

Francis suddenly couldn't meet Arthur's eyes. "I saw it in your hand this morning."

Arthur opened and shut his mouth several times, trying to think of a comeback for that. "I was uh… holding it for safe-keeping! You can't just leave jewelry like that everywhere."

Francis kissed Arthur sweetly on the mouth, feeling the cold marble. "_Mon ami, _please tell me…"

Arthur paused, looking at the ground, and only after a long minute was he finally gain the words he needed. "Why does it matter to you? This ring?" He said, pulling it out of his pocket.

"I gave it to you with my heart, and you threw it back in my face. And yet you kept the ring." He waved a hand around the island. "No one knows of this island except for you and me. What else was needed for you to feel like yourself and be free again."

Arthur turned away from Francis. "I'm a monster. You give me your heart and I throw it away. Not once, but hundreds of times." He sighed, feeling horrible. "You should never speak or look at me again."

Francis pulled him around, smiling. "Arthur, you are no such thing. You are _mon ange_, and nothing will ever change that." Francis pulled Arthur close, tracing his fingers lightly down Arthur's chest, taking in a deep breath. "Arthur… I-i… Je t'iame… it means…"

Arthur looked at Francis as the other man let out a sigh before meeting his eyes. He could feel Francis' heart picking up speed, and Arthur's eyebrows furrowed together, curious. "It means… I love you."

Arthur's own heart stopped. "W-what?"

Francis felt the heat growing in his cheeks. "I love you, _mon ange_. My heart is in your hands. It… it always has been."

Arthur's eyes felt as though they were as big as dinner plates. He never thought that Francis could be so serious. True, he was a flirt, and everything that came out of his mouth had to be taken with a grain of salt. But this. This felt different, Arthur knew it from the bottom of his soul.

Suddenly, he felt himself falling, and all he saw was darkness. He tried to suck in air, but there was none anywhere, and he thrashed around, trying to figure out what had happened. He closed his eyes, and stopped thrashing, sinking even farther. 'What a way to die…' He thought, smiling slightly as he blacked out. The last thing he felt was a hand close around his wrist, and then he completely blacked out.

Arthur didn't know what had happened. He remembered black, and nothingness except for a warm hand, pulling him into the light. Something pushed on his chest, and he heard, "Angleterre? Angleterre? Say something!"

Arthur coughed, and water flew out of his lungs. He flipped over, coughing racking through his body. "Wh-what happened?"

Francis bit his lip. "I told you that I love you, and you fell over into the pool, and I had to drag you out of there." He said, rubbing a hand on Arthur's back, listening to him cough up the last of the water.

Arthur finally sat up, his back still to Francis. Slowly he stood up. "I'm going to go… take a walk…"

Francis' heart sunk to somewhere below his knees. "Of course Angleterre. I'll get you your shirt…" Francis turned to stand, and by the time he turned back, Arthur was gone. He sighed, feeling a horrid pain in his chest. "Angleterre… maybe I shouldn't have said it…" He whispered, clutching the shirt to his chest as he followed Arthur, keeping his distance.

Arthur stood on the beach, breathing heavily. There was a fluttering of wings, and Arthur looked up, seeing Diana. "Hello Arthur…"

Arthur fell backwards. "What's wrong with me?" He yelled at the heavens, glaring as if God himself had spit on him.

Diana flew down and landed on Arthur's chest. "What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?"

Arthur covered his eyes with his hands, groaning. "And more…" He said, shaking his head slightly.

"More?" Diana said, her own green eyes shining brightly. "So then why don't you tell him how you feel?"

Arthur shook his head again. "I can't. Every time I look at him, I can't think straight, and my stomach can't help tie but itself in knots."

Diana started giggling as she pushed off of Arthur's chest, floating by his face. "Sounds like a bad case of love. As your doctor, I suggest the only treatment- telling him."

Arthur sat up and waved a hair in the air, trying to swat the fairy away like some form of a bug. "No thanks. I'm probably just allergic to something… Yeah, it's probably the pollen…."

Diana twirled around in the air. "Arthur, what pollen? You love him. Admit it to yourself, and it'll be a hell of a lot easier to tell him…"

"But what if I don't really love him Diana?" Arthur clapped a hand over his mouth, turning slightly pink.

Diana pulled his hand back and pushed it flat so she could sit on it and look him in the eyes. "He loves you… and even though you say no, you know that somewhere inside of you, you love him too." She crossed her arms over her chest. "That's the real reason you drank yourself into a coma. The pain of you two breaking up was too much for you to bear, and Fae always has liked the strong stuff to forget her troubles."

Arthur winced. He barely remembered that time, but he had just known his heart was shattered, and Fae's whiskey made the fire die to a dull warmth. He could tell why she was addicted to the stuff…"But-"

The word was barely forming on Arthur's lips when Diana flew over to his nose and flicked it. "Arthur, I know you. You love him."

A cough caught both of their attentions, announcing Francis. He wasn't looking at Arthur, merely holding out Arthur's shirt. "Here Arthur." He said, gently placing it into Arthur's outstretched hand, and Arthur caught a glimpse of the sadness in his eyes. "I don't want you to get sunburned."

He turned to go, and Diana nudged Arthur. "Go on, do something. He thinks you hate him Arthur!"

Arthur bit his lip. "Wait, France?"

Francis turned back, a look of hope flashing across his face. "Yes Angleterre?"

Arthur looked at the ground. "I… I don't… hate you." He said, looking anywhere but at Francis.

Francis smiled a sad smile. "Arthur, you have my heart always, whether or not I get yours."

Perched on Arthur's shoulder, Diana whispered, nudging him. "Do it. Tell him now!"

Arthur merely looked at the shirt in his hands, and he didn't even look up as he heard Francis turn to leave. Diana, however, yelled, "ARTHUR! ANSWER HIM! GOD DAMN IT! He gave you his heart and soul, and you're letting it slip away. It's what makes you that monster you despise inside of you, and you do nothing to stop it."

Arthur's hand jumped to the ring that had sat in his pocket, only to realize it was no longer there. Diana continued plowing on. "You need to say it. You may say you don't hate him, but that doesn't say you don't want him to stop trying. Look at him. He's tired of failure."

"If he's tired of failure, then he's tired of me." Arthur muttered, fighting back tears.

Diana placed her hand on the side of Arthur's face. "Maybe it's that sort of thinking that is the reason behind why he stole you away in the first place."

Arthur fell to his knees, tears silently falling down his face. His heart pulled him two ways, one half trying to follow after Francis, the other to his country, to his pride. It hurt so damn much, and no matter what he did, the pain followed him around like a long festering scar. He had always followed his heart, but know… He wiped tears from his face in a desperate attempt to hide them from Francis. "Just… who am I?" He whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

A pair of arms pulled him onto a warm lap, and Arthur felt the person's arms curl around him protectively, one rubbing his back in a calming, circular motion. "Arthur, you are whoever you wish to be."

Arthur buried his face into Francis' chest. "My god, how I want to know… I've just been England for so long…"

Francis kissed the top of Arthur's head. "I know Angleterre. You'll find yourself again."

Arthur nodded, scrubbing the tears from his eyes. "But for now, I'll deal." He said, getting up. "I'm just going to stand up and move on." He smacked his hands on his thighs once, staring towards the sea.

"Arthur…" Francis said, quietly standing up. "Do you know why I want to marry you?"

Arthur didn't hear him as he stared out at the sea. After a minute, he turned back to Francis. "Hey, France, can you do me a favor and never speak of this to anyone?"

Francis smiled. "Of course Angleterre." He motioned back to the cove. "You want to head back so we can catch diner?"

Arthur nodded; flashing a smile he knew was fake. He wanted nothing but to collapse and sob until the end of time, but he was stronger than that. Francis noticed it, and he stood there, contemplating Arthur with a worried expression. After a minute, he smiled slightly, and lead the way back. "Come on _mi amore._"

BOTHER BOTHER BOTHER

God, my life sucks. TnT

I have become England. Which isn't to bad (I even got the eyebrows XD), unless your France turns his heart away and doesn't like you like that anymore.

UGH!

Same week I found this out- Clash of Titans Day 1 and 2, AND I found out one of my step-uncles was killed in a boating accident.

Good god, my life sucks.

Well, anyways. Leave interesting and creative comments below, and I'll maybe hurry my ass up in typing.

Whoot! Go me and 2 chapters in one night!


	4. Mon Ange, Je Taime

Chapter 4- _Mon Ange_

As Arthur followed Francis back, Diana shook her head. "You really need to stop locking yourself away Arthur." She said before she flew away, and Arthur watched her go, wondering where she was going.

Something tickled the back of Arthur's mind, and he found it an annoying itch he couldn't scratch.

Francis' cough brought him spinning back to reality. "I'm sorry Angleterre, I must have left the fishing poles at the house. I'll be right ba-" Francis found himself cut off as Arthur threw his shirt onto a tree limb and took a running leap into the water.

As a fish appeared from the water and landed at Francis' feet, Arthur resurfaced, a bright smile on his face. Francis chuckled. "Catching by hand, are we? I haven't done that since I was a small one." He grinned himself. "My turn then."

Arthur got out of the water as soon as Francis hit the water, his eyes trained on the school of fish deep below. He chuckled at a memory of him leaping in after the school that resided there, scattering the fish while Francis tried to fish with a pole to catch them. A much smaller fish than his flew out of the water, startling him, and Francis swam to the side of the pool. "Getting out already, _mon ami?_"

Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but Francis grabbed his hand, pulling him back into the water.

Arthur spluttered for a second, and in the back of his mind, something said he was going to have a heart attack soon if he kept getting surprised like this. "Frog! I was going to get another!" Arthur said, trying to push from Francis' arms.

Francis laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry _ma cheri." _He said, smirking. "Go ahead."

Arthur finally pulled himself out and dove in again, quickly catching an unsuspecting fish. As he started to resurface, something came out of nowhere and stole the fish.

Arthur resurfaced, glaring at Francis, who was putting the fish he had stolen on the ground. "Cheater. You better not do that again."

Francis chuckled, diving in again. Arthur started looking around for him when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to something warm. "Make me." Came a low, playful growl that sent a shiver down Arthur's spine.

Arthur tried to escape his arms again, but failed miserably. "You did it again!"

Francis chuckled. "I'm not doing anything, _mon ami_."

Arthur finally broke out of the stronghold of Francis' arms and started to the shore. Francis followed after him, pouting slightly. "Arthur, don't leave again. I have something I wanted to show you…"

Francis blinked in surprise as his fish flew through the air and hit him on the head before it flopped back into the water, tasting freedom. "Sorry, I felt bad for the little guy. You never were too good at catching fish."

Francis chuckled, splashing some water at Arthur, who, in response, cannon-balled in. Arthur resurfaced, swimming up next to Francis. "So, where's this place you wanted to show me?"

Francis chuckled, taking Arthur's hand and diving under the water, swimming under the waterfall. He led Arthur down a short tunnel, and finally they both resurfaced.

Arthur gasped at the cavern they were in. Little green diamonds covered practically every surface, and as he looked around in astonishment, Francis noticed his eyes were glowing the same color as the rest of the room.

Arthur broke the silence with an awed whisper. "It's so… beautiful…"

Francis nodded as Arthur looked around the cavern. "Not as beautiful as you." He murmured, swimming over to the side of the cave. As he pulled himself out of the water, he glanced around in what little light there was and found the matches and candles he had brought in earlier. He lit one of the matches, and watched as the green diamonds flared red suddenly.

Arthur gaped at the walls, and Francis chuckled, lighting a candle before he blew the match out. He patted the ground next to him. "Come here and sit with me."

Arthur swam over, but as he pulled himself out of the pool, he blew out the candle. "It looks much prettier this way."

Francis let out a low chuckle. "Not as pretty as your eyes Angleterre."

Francis could see Arthur turn pink. "Don't compare my eyes to this beauty. My eyes are ugly."

Francis shook his head. "No they aren't Arthur."

Arthur nodded, staring at his reflection in the water. "My eyes look like the color of bile after you eat green beans." He said, shaking his head.

"_Non_ Arthur. Your eyes remind me of grass after it rains or in the morning when the dew is still wet." He said, placing his hand on Arthur's.

Arthur instantly moved his hand away and placed it on the wall beside him. "How on earth did you find something like this place?"

Francis shrugged, trying to shake the feelings of rejection away. "I was just thinking of you, and came across it last night when I couldn't sleep."

Arthur blushed, sinking back into the water. "I'm going to go back outside… Care to join me?"

Francis shook his head. "I'll follow you out in a minute, but I'm just going to sit here for a minute."

Arthur nodded, slightly confused, but he swam down. Francis waited for a minute to make sure Arthur was truly gone before he pulled out the ring from his pocket. He had picked it up when Arthur had run off, and he brushed a little dust off of the ring, causing the gem set into the gold band to shine like its brother gems in the cave. He set the ring down, patting the rock. "I always knew you were here…" He said before he sunk into the water, swimming after Arthur.

Arthur sat on the edge of the water, eyes peeled for any sign of movement. He sat nervously, wondering if he should dive in to see if Francis was stuck somewhere, when finally the Frenchman's blonde head broke the surface of the cove.

Arthur caught himself before he could let out a sigh of relief. "Took you long enough." He said, casually picking up a blade of grass and twirling it in his fingers.

Francis smiled wickedly. "What do you mean? I was behind you the whole time _mi amore_."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "No, you weren't. You probably would have tried to grope me if you had been."

Francis pulled himself onto the embankment. "Why do you always say such things? I hope you realize that one day I won't take it the right way and you'll wake up naked with a hangover thinking, 'What the hell did I do last night?'" Francis gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll clean the fish."

Arthur glared at him. "I did it already."

Francis chuckled. "Then let's start cooking. How about you get some firewood." He looked around for a second, and then he looked at Arthur. "Um… Angleterre… I left the only matches we have in the cave…"

Arthur groaned, dumping the firewood in a pile. "Do you have my glasses or something? Because we can always light the fire using them…"

Francis shook his head. "No, I didn't think you'd need them for anything." He sighed, pulling a bag from the picnic basket, holding it out to Arthur. "Angleterre, will you go get them for me?" He said, not looking at Arthur as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Arthur sighed, taking off his shirt again. And just when he got dry too…

As Arthur dove in with the waterproof bag, Francis chuckled, pulling the lighter from the basket, lighting a stick. By the time Arthur resurfaced, the fire was crackling merrily, the fish cooking.

Arthur shot him a glare. "If you had the means to start a fire, why did I have to go back into the water?"

Francis grinned. "I'm sorry Angleterre, I forgot about the lighter. Did you get the matches?"

Arthur shook his head. "Couldn't find them. But I did find this." He held up the engagement ring. "You must have left it behind."

Francis rubbed the back of his neck. "No… it must have fallen out of your pocket."

Arthur sighed, handing back the ring. "I'm going to go swimming since I'm already wet. Keep the food warm for me."

Francis held out his hand, feeling the piece of cold metal press lightly against his skin as Arthur set it in his hand, feeling the light pressure of Arthur's fingertips before Arthur turned back to the water and dove in.

Arthur embraced the coolness of the water, wondering what he would do while he swam. There was nothing that he could do without coming up every few minutes for air.

A flash of blue caught Arthur's eye, and he spun around, trying to see what it was.

A mermaid swam almost directly across the cove, eyes curious as she neared this human.

Arthur waved, grinning. In response, the mermaid swam downwards, coming back with a shell.

Arthur inclined his head as he received the gift, a token of respect for any mermaid. She grinned, swimming rapidly around Arthur, face shining in glee.

Up above, Francis looked down at Arthur, watching as Arthur turned in circles. "He's with his friends…" He muttered, smiling slightly.

The mermaid picked up a string of seaweed, pulling it around Arthur, then gave him a light kiss on the forehead. The seaweed sunk into his skin, and Arthur gasped in shock as a tingly sensation crossed his limbs.

The water suddenly felt like air in his lungs. He sat there confused for a minute, then realization hit him. Mermaids were known for their water magic, and she must have casted a spell on him. He inclined his head again, and the mermaid giggled, tagging him before swimming away.

Arthur followed her, finally catching up and tagging her back. She laughed again as Arthur swam further down, chasing after him.

After a moment, a huge ship appeared into view, causing the mermaid and Arthur to come to a stop. Arthur started to go nearer to it, only to have the mermaid tug on his hand, shaking her head no.

Arthur smiled and waved her away, pulling her closer to the ship. She pulled her hand free, but as Arthur swam closer, she followed behind cautiously.

The ship was huge, and Arthur looked every which way, wanting to explore it all. The mermaid swam by, motioning to the left, where it looked the clearest. Arthur nodded, following her.

After a while, she led him to a magnificent room, which Arthur automatically realized was the captain's cabin. Arthur noted a fleur de lis painted on the wall, and he pointed to it, surprised.

The mermaid nodded, pointing upwards at the sky and to Francis. She motioned something else that Arthur couldn't understand, then tugged him towards a desk, pointing at the only drawer left in there.

It was locked, Arthur could see that, but years of water damage had warped away the wood, and it pulled out easily.

Both Arthur and the mermaid sighed exasperated. The box was empty. "So much for that adventure…" Arthur said, his voice distorted from the water. He drummed his fingers against the drawer, shocked to hear a hollow sound. "Hey, I think this has a false bottom…" His fingers caressed the sides of the box, and eventually, they came across a small latch. He pressed it, and the false bottom floated away, revealing a picture frame.

The mermaid's interest peaked. "What's in it?"

Arthur picked the picture up, eyebrows furrowing. "It looks like-" He cut off, his face turning red. "Oh dear lord…"

"What? What is it?" The mermaid asked, and Arthur showed her.

"It's a picture of me in a dress. France, the bloody git, shoved me in one and must have taken the picture when I wasn't looking." He covered his face with his hands. "Oh thank god it's been down here the whole time."

"So this is his ship?" The mermaid said, whirling around.

Arthur nodded, taking the picture back. "It looked like a French build to me. But I didn't remember any ships being sunk like this." His eyebrows furrowed. "Looks like there's something in the picture with it… Too bad we're in the water. I'll have to swim to the surface to-"

The mermaid shook her head. "No, there's an air pocket down this way." She said, leading the way to a hole in the ceiling a few doors down, and Arthur went through first, and she followed behind quickly after, sitting on the wood floor next to him. She watched as Arthur cracked open the picture frame, letting the picture fall from it, followed by a gold, shiny thing.

Arthur picked it up before she got a good look at it. "What? What is it?" She asked, but Arthur kept staring at the object. Sighing, she picked up the letter, and flipping it over, she giggled. "Hey, Arthur, listen to this."

She coughed, then pulled off a passable France voice. "Dear Angleterre, I wish you could know how deeply I feel about you, and that I want to be with you for no other reason than that. I wish you could see how beautiful you really are, no matter what you wear. _Je t'iame._" She said, smiling. "Awwww… That's so cute!" She looked at the startled Arthur. "Why is he so persistent?"

Arthur paused, then shrugged. "He loves me…even if I'm no good for him. And he knows I'm no good for him…"

The mermaid sighed, flipping her tail into the air, causing a shower of water to fall on her. "Well, you do look cute in that dress…" Her voice faded, and she gently picked up a ring that had sat in Arthur's hand. "Was this what fell from the frame?"

Arthur nodded. "I gave it to France years ago, as a simple parting gift. He promised to take care of it and to never remove it from his hand, and so I was so mad when I next saw him, and noticed he had no ring. He told me some lie that it had gotten lost with his ship, stolen by someone or another." He ran a hand along the nearest wall. "I guess this explains where the ship went. I just wonder how it sunk…"

The mermaid was getting tired of dry land, it did nothing for her scales, only made her feel dry and crusty. At these words, she grinned. "Well, I can explain that for you." She grabbed his hand, pulling him along. He only had just enough time to get the picture in the plastic bag Francis had given him when he fell back into the water. She led him to the outside and pointed to the hull. "See? Cannonfire."

Arthur swam up to a hole. "They look like English cannonballs..." He swallowed. "I remember this ship. Her name was the Mon Ange, right?"

The mermaid shrugged. "I don't read your language, but the letters up there are still intact."

Arthur swam to the front, his hand tracing the letters. "Yep, this is her. I was on the ship that shot her down. I was under specific orders that if any ship flying Spanish color was to be shot at once, no questions asked."

The mermaid paused, tilting her head. "Really? What happened?"

Arthur clenched his fists. "My damn pride is what happened. They were headed straight for London, and I was upset at the last skirmish we had had and I lost at, so I shot at them. I hit a few blows, but they turned tail and ran. I always thought they made it back to Spain, but there was a storm that nearly sunk my own ship that night. They must have been blown here by the storm and sunk…"

"So, you destroyed it?" She paused, pursing her lips. "Now, why on earth would a French ship fly Spanish colors?"

Arthur shrugged. "France never really talked about what had happened to his beautiful ship, so I'll have to ask him what happened then…"

The mermaid nodded. "Well, are you going to show him what you found?"

Arthur turned pink and shook his head. "He probably forgot about it long ago." They started swimming back to the cove, but the mermaid pulled to a halt just as they entered the cove. She kissed Arthur on the forehead, saying, "Tell him. You never know what you'll find out." She smiled. "Come visit me again soon."

Arthur nodded, watching the mermaid swim away before he started swimming upwards towards the sky.

Francis paced back and forth, gnawing on his lip. It was definite, Arthur had been taking too long since he had disappeared, and he was half torn with worry and self-hate for letting him go alone.

He let out a relieved sigh as Arthur surfaced. "There you are Angleterre. I was growing grey hairs, worrying about you."

Arthur scoffed as he struggled to pull himself from the pool. "Worried? Why would you be worried?"

Francis helped him out, handing Arthur's shirt to him. "Well, you were down there for a long time… Find anything interesting?"

Arthur shook his head. "Not really."

Francis sighed. Maybe it HAD been too much to ask for. "Any treasure?" He asked, handing Arthur a plate of fish.

Arthur ate hungrily, barely stopping to shake his head as he wolfed down bite after bite. Dear lord, he was hungry.

Francis sighed again. "Oh well."

Arthur finally finished and he set the plate down, patting his slightly distended stomach. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten so much. "France, have you ever heard of a ship called the Mon Ange?"

Francis nodded, sighing, but in reality, his heart was speeding up in hope. "_Oui._ She was the pride of my country. She was meant to be a gift from Spain to you, in the hopes it would settle any disputes. I miss her dearly though." He grinned at some, long forgotten memory. "I built her myself you know."

Arthur laid down, not meeting Francis' eyes. "I never got her."

Francis sighed. "Then she was probably shot down."

Arthur nodded, suddenly feeling immensely guilty. "Why did you never tell me?"

Francis sighed again. "Antonio took her nearly a week too early. She still had some things needed to be hammered out, and I ended up leaving some of my things in the captain's quarters."

Arthur paused. "What did you leave in the cabin's quarters?"

Francis turned his head away from Arthur. "Oh Angleterre, forgive me. It was the ring you gave me. And scared to face you and tell you, I left on that trip and disappeared for a time." He said, playing with the finger that had always sported the ring when he had had it.

Arthur nodded, remembering the day he had gone to Francis' house, only to find out he had left for the other side of the world. He looked over at Francis, reaching into his pocket for the ring. It was still as bright and shiny as they day he had bought it, the green emerald sitting in it twinkling up at it. The years had certainly been kinder to the ring than to him.

He coughed, catching Francis' attention. "Well, while I was down there, I found something I thought you would like. It's really nothing, just a piece of junk I found…" He said, holding out the ring.

Francis' eyes widened, and he took the ring. _"Mon dieu…_" He whispered, taking the ring delicately from Arthur's fingers and sliding it into place on his left hand. "_Merci mon ange…_"

Arthur looked confused for a second, so Francis repeated himself. "Thank you my angel." He said, smiling down at Arthur. He turned his head to the sea. "She's down there, isn't she? The ship…"

Arthur nodded, and Francis shook his head. "So she was hit. Antonio's a fool. I told him to wait a week so I could tell you about the ship, but he refused to listen as normal." He pulled Arthur into a hug. "Thank you Arthur."

Arthur pushed himself from Francis' arms. "I'm sorry France."

"For what?" Francis asked, gently kissing Arthur's lips.

"I lied to you." He said, bowing his head. "I don't deserve your love."

Francis smiled. "You lied to find the truth. I knew you were." He pulled Arthur close, stroking his hair. "You're worth everything in the world to me. _Ma cheri, _I'd give up everything if I could have you and have you trust me."

Arthur shook his head, not looking at Francis. "I shot her down, a gift, and torched your trust in me."

Francis kissed the top of his head. "Arthur, it wasn't your fault. Antonio stole it before I could warn you, and we both know he'd had one too many tomatoes." He chuckled, brushing the hair out of Arthur's face. "_Mi amore…_ tell me what you don't trust about me…"

Arthur looked at his hands, folded in his lap. "It's strange… putting it to words."

Francis chuckled. "All I'm asking is that you try." He leaned back, laying on the ground, pulling Arthur with him so that Arthur's head laid on Francis' chest.

Arthur moved away, not looking at Francis. "Alright…" He whispered, pausing. "I'm not sure I can trust myself…"

"What do you mean?" Francis felt slightly hurt that Arthur had moved away, but for compensation, he held his hand.

"I'm not sure if I can live with myself if all you do is pour your love into me, and all I do is take it, or if I'll even be able to you in." He said, eyes fixed on his feet. "You should find someone better than me."

Francis smiled. "Arthur, I want you. No one else." He kissed Arthur's hand. "And you're letting me in right now, aren't you?"

Arthur smiled slightly. "I just want to be that Arthur you shoved in a dress."

Francis chuckled. "You remember that?" He reached out and took Arthur's other hand, liking the feel of holding on to some small part of his Angleterre. "You are. But he's just buried under all the stress and paperwork."

Arthur shook his head, reclaiming one of his hands back, pulling the picture out of his pocket. "I think he died…"

Francis took the hand back. "No… if he had, I would have died myself."

Arthur's eyes snapped up to Francis' face, seeing the seriousness of his statement. "How can you be so sure?"

Francis shrugged. "I would have felt it… seen it…" He smiled. "I know you haven't lost who you really are yet."

Arthur looked at him, green eyes sparkling slightly. "Really?"

Francis nodded. "_Mon ange, _I'm positive…"

"How do you know?" Arthur said, starting to look down again.

Francis dropped the hands, lifting up Arthur's chin. "Your eyes have yet to lose the passion for living that you think you've lost."

Arthur turned his head away. "But it still feels like there's no point to life…"

Francis smiled, inching closer to Arthur. "You're still here, so there is some point… even if it's just you and me."

"Really? Even if I don't know who I am?" Arthur whispered, looking at Francis' blue eyes.

Francis nodded his head, his eyes shining with hope and love. "Arthur, I will always accept you the way you are, no matter how you act. I love you."

"I…." Arthur wanted to say it, he could feel how desperately he wanted to say it, and yet the words got stuck in his throat. "I like you." Arthur winced, knowing perfectly well it wasn't the words Francis wanted to hear.

Francis shook his head. It had been true, he had wanted nothing but Arthur's love confession, but this would be enough to give him hope. He raisied a hand and placing it on Arthur's cheek. "I know Arthur." He said, grinning happily.

Arthur stood up and stood there for a second. "I'm going to go on a walk… Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough."

Francis' face fell slightly, but he hid it well. "As you wish Arthur…" He said, watching as Arthur left the clearing. "I'll be waiting…"

Arthur didn't know how far he had walked before he was sure Francis couldn't hear him, then he let out a gasping breath, breathing heavily. "Dear god, that took just a little too much courage…" He muttered, placing a hand on his rapidly beating heart.

"Arthur…" Arthur flew a foot at the voice, only to realize it was a small blue fairy perched carefully on a branch. Diana giggled. "God Arthur, you're jumpier than a rabbit!"

Arthur sighed, then had a thought. "Hey, Diana, is there someone YOU like?"

Diana's blue light turned slightly purple. "Yes… why?"

"Have you told him you love him?"

Diana looked curiously at Arthur's face. "Sort of… why? What's all this about?"

"You'll see in a second. How did you tell him?" Arthur asked, holding out his palm.

Diana flittered to his hand and sat down, and Arthur continued walking as she talked. "Well, I invited him out to dinner, which wasn't that unusual. We'd been dating for a pretty long time, and I'd hinted for forever at my true feelings. Only his head is as thick as a brick wall, and I ended getting so frustrated with him I just yelled in out in the middle of the restaurant." She blushed.

Arthur sighed. "Well, that's not going to work. If only I could get my vocal cords to work…"

Diana tilted her head, eyes big. "So you're going to tell him, but you can't say it." She pursed her lips, then lifted a finger into the air. "You should write him a note or show him!"

Arthur scoffed at the idea. "What I can't say out loud won't come any easier on paper." He shot her a questioning look. "How in blazes would I even show him?"

Diana ticked off her fingers. "Well, a kiss can be as loud as a thousand words… there's cuddling… and marriage… and…" Her voice faded, and then she coughed. "Well, the dirty deed, but that one can be really misunderstood…"

Arthur turned pink at the last idea. "Well, that one's out immediately… and I don't cuddle."

Diana shrugged. "Then marry him."

Arthur looked at his feet. "He might not want me after how I've treated him every time he tries…"

"Then kiss him! You've been too distant!"

Arthur paused. It was true, Francis was always kissing him, holding him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, trying to get some reaction. And yet Arthur was like a statue. Cold, distant, and motionless.

"Diana, what if I don't really love him? That this is some huge, cooked-up conspiracy in my brain, and I'm reading everything wrong?" Arthur said, voicing his fears to the small fairy.

Diana stood up and flew to his shoulder, patting the side of his face. "Arthur, if you didn't love him, you wouldn't have these doubts. Trust me, you love him." She giggled, flying into the air in front of his face. "If Francis asks for your hand again, say yes!"

"But, but-"

"Arthur!" Diana yelled, hands akimbo, a Fae-ish look on her face. "Trust me on this! Now, go tell him how you feel. Or show him. Whatever feels best."

Arthur sighed, looking up. He blinked in surprise at how much darker it had gotten, and looked around. "Umm, Diana, where are we?"

Diana looked up, blinking. "I… don't know." She let a sly grin cross her face. "Call out to Francis. He'll come find you."

Arthur turned his head away from Diana. "No. To hell if I am going to be the little lost princess who has to be rescued by a knight. I say we turn back and keep going."

Diana sighed. "You're just going to get more and more lost." She perked at a noise in the distance. "Hey, did you hear that?"

Arthur shook his head, falling silent.

In the distance, there was a faint, "Arthur! Where are you?" that cut through the silence of the forest.

Diana chuckled. "Call to your lover boy. Fae wanted some company tonight, so I'm heading to England." She waved good-bye and flew off, leaving Arthur alone in the steadily darkening forest.

Arthur sighed, realizing the only rational solution to his dilemma. "France! I'm over here! Keep calling!"

"Angleterre? Thank goodness!" Arthur turned, and found Francis standing there.

"Oh France, there you are. Were you out-" Arthur found himself practically tackled, enveloped in a hug.

"Arthur, I was so worried. You took much too long to come back, _mi amore._" Francis said, kissing Arthur firmly on the lips.

Arthur blinked in surprise, still startled by Francis' sudden hug. Francis pulled back, brushing hair out of Arthur's eyes. "Arthur, no, _mon ange,_ I…I wanted to tell you why I propose. I've told you before, but you were asleep at the time…" He kissed Arthur's motionless lips again. "I want to marry you not for your country, but for a security blanket for you. So you will always know that I won't sleep around… and that I'm yours."

Arthur's mouth dropped open slightly, and he stared at Francis while the other man continued on. "I love you with my whole heart and soul, and I want you to know I won't whore around ever again. It's all to gain your trust and love. I know I screw everything up sometimes, but I do want you." Francis said, looking down at the soft green eyes.

For someone who had had no brain activity five seconds before, Arthur suddenly knew what it was he needed to do. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Francis' waist. "How much do you want me?"

Francis looked down at the arms briefly before looking back at Arthur. "More than life itself." He said, closing the space between them even more.

"And you'll always accept me, no matter what?" Arthur asked, not able to meet Francis' eyes as a light pink flooded his cheeks as he moved his arms up and around Francis' neck.

Francis nodded, his heart speeding up as he felt the hope, happiness, and love showing through his eyes. "Yes Angleterre, however you are. No matter what."

"Hold still for a sec then." He said, pulling Francis' head down and kissed him lightly.

Francis scooped Arthur and spun him around in a circle, grinning into the kiss. He finally let Arthur down, and both stood there for a second, both grinning like idiots. "I knew you loved me." Francis whispered, leaning down to kiss Arthur sweetly again.

Arthur's smile faded slightly, and he turned away his head. "I thought that since you're always kissing me, it was high time I repaid the favor."

Francis pulled his head back up so they could look into each other's eyes. "_Merci mi amore._" He whispered, kissing Arthur's forehead. "I'm yours for eternity… W-will you be mine?" He asked, stroking the side of Arthur's cheek with his thumb.

"France, I… I… no."

Francis' face fell, and he turned away from Arthur's face. "O-ok Angeleterre. I will still be yours eternally." He said, his smile turning fake as he started to pull away from Arthur.

Arthur pulled him back, kissing him passionately. "France, know that I while I may not marry you, I still…" Arthur tried to say the word, and after a minute, he just continued on. "…you. I don't want you to give up just yet. I'm just not ready."

Francis smiled at Arthur. "_Mon ange…_" He whispered, fingers twirling around a loose strand of hair. "I ask for you… so you no longer worry about my antics." He looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We best head back." He said, nuzzling the crook of Arthur's neck.

Arthur sighed, burying his head into Francis' chest. "Do we have to? It feels so nice being right here…"

Francis chuckled, kissing Arthur's hand. "I agree."

Arthur paused. "Tonight… will you watch the stars with me?"

Francis smiled, giving Arthur a quick kiss. "I think I will."

Arthur started to walk away. "Well, then let's go!"

Francis chuckled, catching Arthur's hand. "Angleterre, the beach is this way."

Arthur blushed. "I knew that, I was just testing you!" He said, and Francis wasted no time in grabbing his hand, enjoying the warmth as he led the way.

* * *

Haha! You thought I forgot about this, didn't you! ~wiggles eyebrows~

Actually, I've had this written for a while, but forgot to post it. Hahahahahaha~ -falters under glares-

Sorry.

Panic moment though! I have the next few chapters ready, but... -bursts to tears- college! I curse thee for multiple reasons!

Long story short- I went off to college, and the summer before I decided to leave somethings in my room at home in case anyone... discovered the random smut in this one notebook.

However! My mother decided after I went to college, it was time to clean.

I literally lost all my clothes except for a few pairs of jeans, various black tanks, and 3 pairs of jean shorts. And unmentionables, but let's skip that part. My life has been deleted from my room in lower AZ, and, to my astonishment, various notebooks I had and wrote in were thrown away.

You guessed it. The only copy of the entire Mon Ange now sits at my local landfill.

I shall try to recreate it from memory, but it's going to be difficult, so bear with me.

Anyway, I hope your life is going well, and I'll try to keep up with regular updates.

Love, Kitkat!


	5. Under the Stars, Lovers Join

As promised, here's Chapter 5! May ye all be warned... Here's the smut.

* * *

Chapter 5- _Under the Stars, Lovers Join_

Francis led them back to the beach, casually squeezing Arthur's hand as they walked. "It's a beautiful sunset, is it not _mi amore?"_

Arthur nodded, suddenly unable to touch any part of Francis, lest he burst into flames.

They stood there for a second, Francis standing dignified while Arthur shifted uncomfortably next to him. Francis' long fingers played with the emerald ring that sat on his hand, and he casually looked at Arthur.

Arthur had turned his head, not looking at Francis or anything else, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He looked like an angel, the way his hair caught the last few glorious moments of the sunset.

Francis couldn't help himself. He grabbed Arthur's arm, pulling the other on top of him and into his arms.

Arthur turned a beet red. "Let go you frog."

Francis gently licked Arthur's neck, savoring the taste. "I don't think a frog could hold you _mon ami_."

Arthur smiled, nuzzling his head into Francis' neck. "You're right."

Francis smiled, happiness flooding him as his hands started to explore Arthur's sides.

Arthur shuddered at the feeling of Francis' hands. "Feels good…"

Francis chuckled as he continued, carefully placing kisses on Arthur's neck. "I'm glad you think so."

Arthur let out a groan as Francis' hands sneaked up his shirt, and he practically ripped his shirt and Francis' off, exposing their chests. Arthur let out a blissful sigh, his emerald eyes half-lidded in lust. "God, you're so perfect…"

Francis chuckled, his hands moving tantalizingly slow across Arthur's chest. "I could say the exact same to you."

In silent response, Arthur started kissing Francis' chest, slowly making a line up to Francis' neck.

Francis kissed Arthur full on the mouth, starting with the buckle of Arthur's pants, only to give up when he couldn't get the clasp undone. Instead, he slipped his fingers into Arthur's pants and stroked him just below the belt line, and Arthur let out a loud groan and a shudder, his eyes closing fully.

Francis' mouth moved from Arthur's down the side of his face to his neck, and at the same time his hands moved even lower, Francis began to put a hickey on Arthur's collarbone.

Arthur groaned slightly, and suddenly Francis felt a pair of teeth on one of his ears, gently pulling and nibbling.

Francis moaned slightly, and in automatic response, he started stroking Arthur's manhood.

Arthur gasped, letting the emotions roll over him and he felt himself going limp as his member got harder. "Ugh… It feels so good…" Arthur said as he bent his head and started creating hickeys all over Francis' exposed neck and chest.

Francis continued massaging Arthur as he flipped their positions, arching his neck so Arthur could have better access to it, hissing in pleasure at the feeling of Arthur's lips on his skin.

Arthur kept going, even as his breathing became more and more ragged, enjoying the feeling of giving Francis a hickey.

Francis slipped out of his pants, eagerness and lust driving him on as he started grinding against Arthur.

The small, slightly sane part of Arthur slapped him awake as realization dumped on him like an ice cold bucket. "Ugh…. France…" He said, and he heard the labored breathing of the other man.

"_Oui, mi amore?_" His voice was husky and disapproving, like he disliked such interruptions.

"How far are we…" Arthur's voice faded as he stopped himself from finishing the sentence.

Francis shuddered, not able to keep talking like this for very long. "What do you mean Angleterre?"

Arthur shook his head, his hand stroking the side of Francis' face with the pad of his thumb. "Never mind France." He said, smiling. "It's just you and me."

Francis grinned, kissing the smaller man chastely as he pulled him close, hips grinding into Arthur's as his hands ran wild in the meadow of Arthur's hair. He felt Arthur kiss back, followed by the metallic slide of a zipper being pulled down and immediately Arthur was down to nothing but his boxers.

The sight of Arthur didn't last long as both men discarded the last garments on their bodies. Francis used two fingers to trail a random spiral down Arthur's chest, his eyes focused on the grassy green eyes. "Arthur, are you sure about this?"

He nodded, swallowing slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Francis smiled, lifting up the two fingers he had trailed down Arthur's chest. "Suck." He said, leaning over Arthur's chest, carefully placing kiss after kiss.

Arthur's eyebrows knitted together. "Suck?" He repeated, confusion on his face.

Francis chuckled at the obliviousness of his Angleterre. "We don't exactly have lube on hand, do we?"

Arthur turned even pinker, and he took the fingers into his mouth, half-closing his eyes as he sucked long and hard on them.

Francis removed them when they were ready, gently pushing back Arthur to the ground as he carefully inserted them into Arthur, alternating between thrusting and scissoring the fingers.

Arthur winced in pain, and Francis bowed his head, murmuring promises of how it would feel better in a minute while he searched for Arthur's sweet spot. He added a third finger, smiling slightly as Arthur gasped in surprise. He stroked the inside of the wall one last time before he pulled his fingers out, looking up at Arthur's face. "Ready _mon ange_?"

Arthur nodded, not looking at the blue eyes staring back at him. He knew he should tell Francis, but Arthur just didn't have the courage. Anyway, it wasn't like he wouldn't figure it out soon enough…

Francis eased in, groaning slightly at how tight Arthur still was. But his eyes were on Arthur's face, which still refused to look at him. "Arthur, what's wrong?" He asked, kissing the crook of Arthur's neck.

Arthur winced slightly, but he shook his head. "It's nothing. Just keep going."

Francis straightened up, feeling uneasy. "Arthur, tell me, please." He whispered, staring at his green eyes as he put a hand on Arthur's cheek.

Arthur's hand snaked up to hold Francis'. "You're being a bloody git, I hope you realize this."

Francis kissed Arthur gently. "And you, _mon ami, _are being stubborn." But he sighed, no longer able to help himself as he started thrusting slow and deep into Arthur.

Arthur let out a noise that was halfway torn between a scream and a moan, pain flooding into him.

Francis chuckled, kissing Arthur in a different place every time he thrusted in. Arthur was being a baby about this, going on like a child with a shot. He could stop acting like it was his first… time…

Arthur's hands found themselves on Francis' back, and half-blinded in a combination of pain and lust, and in an effort to ignore the pain, he found himself grasping onto Francis for dear life. His eyes screwed up in pain at a particularly hard thrust, and he found himself panting hard as he tried to hold the screams back.

The more Francis thought about it, the more it made sense as Arthur's nails started cutting into his skin. "Arthur…" He whispered, reaching down and massaging Arthur's neglected erection in an effort to help.

Arthur let out a small groan of pleasure at what Francis was doing, and his eyes opened slightly. "What?"

His voice was strained, and Francis bit his lip. "Arthur, you're a virgin, aren't you?" He asked, continuing his mixture of thrusting and massaging. "You need to relax, and I swear it will get better."

Arthur let out a half-strangled scream. "C-c-can't. Too much…" He managed to get out before he let out the scream again.

He kissed Arthur, but inside he felt horrid. "Arthur, please, think of something else. Of anything but the pain…"

Arthur's eyes barely flickered open. "Francis…"

Francis nearly stopped what he was doing, he wanted to jump up and down and scream and yell and kiss and hug. It had been much too long since he had heard his true name on Arthur's lips. The only thing that ruined the moment were the small screams now being muttered under Arthur's breath. "_Oui_?" He said, immediately realizing how husky his voice was and how much guilt came out of it.

Arthur put a hand on Arthur's face, trying to comfort the other while hiding his wincing. "Don't feel guilty _mi amore_…" His mouth felt weird, speaking French, and it was stained with his British accent, but it got the intended meaning to the other man.

Oh, he wanted and needed to pick up speed, moving faster and harder, but he refused to, putting Arthur's pleasure first. Francis had never felt so wicked, knowing his beloved Angleterre was in pain because of his own selfish need.

Arthur could see how bad Francis wanted to go, and he knew what was holding Francis back. He could be so damn noble, Arthur thought as he held Francis' face in his hands. "Do it _mi amore_. Or will I have to speak French until you do it?" He rubbed his thumb up and down the side of Francis' face. "So what I can't walk? I knew what I was getting into. _Je t'iame_…" He whispered before he pulled Francis' head down, kissing him chastely.

Francis started going faster, moving Arthur's legs up and out in an effort to reach his sweet spot faster, moaning softly as he did.

If there had been anyone watching, they wouldn't have heard the moan as a horrible scream ripped itself out of Arthur's throat. He was in sensory overload, pain burning in him, lust driving him, love burning just as strong as the pain in his chest as tears of happiness and pain flooded from his eyes. He couldn't tell what was up and what was down, only thing he could be sure of was the man pounding into him.

Francis bowed his head and buried his face in Arthur's neck, trying to drown out the screaming as he tried to soothe Arthur with an old lullaby that he no longer remembered where he had first heard it. But he still kept his pace inside of Arthur, and soon enough, he felt himself getting fuller and fuller.

Arthur slowly stopped screaming, his voice going as the pain started to numb itself. "I'm sorry _mi amore…_" He whispered, nuzzling his head into Francis', only to suddenly jerk as Francis hit something deep inside of him. "What the hell is that?"

Francis lifted his head, smiling slightly. "It's called the sweet spot _mon ange._" He said, kissing Arthur as he hit the spot over and over again.

Arthur let out a blissful sigh, smiling at Francis and the starry sky above them, whispering the same word over and over again. "Francis, Francis, Francis…"

He smiled slightly into Arthur's neck, giving him yet another hickey, only to stop as he came deep inside of Arthur so he could moan.

Arthur came a split second later, breathing heavily as he let out an ecstatic noise.

They sat there, neither moving, only listening to the other's breathing. And for a minute, Arthur didn't feel so alone in the world.


	6. REQUEST! READ!

BAH!

Fuck I need something to do.

I'm really sorry it took so long to get back to fanfiction, but I recently just went off to college! :D And then my life went to hell in back. D: It's a long story, but let's just say it has to do with bad decisions on my part (sorry Ane-chan), horrible, life altering decisions on my friend's part (STDS are horrible things), a drug dealer friend (who I had absolutely no idea did such hard-core drugs), and an entire floor of 60 some girls beating on each other (not literally, but it's a minefield when all the biological clocks align). It's a miracle I've somehow survived, and with a shred of dignity to my name.

Alright everyone, this is where this stands- I'm bored. My brain has blocked EVERYTHING. I need to loosen up the cogs, so that hopefully, by some miracle, I can think about finishing these stories that are just chilling here. Life has been a bitch to me, but if you still check my page, by some miracle, post below this, and the magic genie will give you a wish.

One wish- Any story. I don't care what book, manga, TV show, magazine, or anything else you can think of, the story comes from. Just tell me what you want, and who you want in it. I WILL WRITE IT. EVEN IF I HAVE TO STUDY WHAT THE HELL YOU MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT. I'll post it on fanfiction, email it to you, whatever you want. Can't promise it'll be done soon, but Imma try really hard to get it back to you in less than a week.

I love you so much if you actually got excited that I finally posted, and if you even checked this. I'm honored, and I would love to write a story for you. I don't care if you feel like taking advantage of me, this is kinda my way of taking advantage of the brains of other people.

LOVE YOU ALL!

~Kitkat


End file.
